Benin - January 2025

On 8 January, al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) fighters launched a mass attack on a military base in northern Benin’s Alibori department, killing at least 28 soldiers and burning down the site. The assault, the deadliest ever suffered by the Beninese armed forces, underscores the country’s growing security challenges amid increasing attacks in the northern region linked to jihadist groups based in neighbouring countries. In response, the military claim to have launched a counter-offensive, reportedly killing 40 jihadists. On 13 January, the army convened an extraordinary military council, highlighting recruitment and equipment issues impeding counter-insurgency efforts. More than 120 Beninese soldiers are thought to have been killed in similar attacks between 2021 and December 2024.

Sources: International Crisis Group, Jeune Afrique, Punch Nigeria, British Broadcasting Corporation, Agence de Presse Africaine News